“THIS ISN’T THE FIRST, BUT THIS SHOULD BE THE LAST”
Last week, we witnessed the horrific death of George Floyd in Minneapolis. And with this, the last straw in a series of racially motivated incidents, the ugliness of systemic racism, lying just beneath the surface was fully exposed. Protests in the streets, looting, police confrontations, the anger and the outrage was and is palpable. What happens next is critical to moving forward in the US.
While we, in Canada, watched this unfold, it became apparent that this story of anti-black racism does not stop at the border. It is active and rampant in Canada. This horrific incident opens the door to a long overdue but necessary and frank dialogue on anti-black racism, systemic discrimination, and the lived injustices overlaid on racialized Canadians.
As we stand in solidarity with our US partners, the time for change is now. We ask that our Canadian partners and allies join us as we name anti-black racism and systemic discrimination for what it is it and take steps to eradicate it and heal our country. We know from the civil rights movement, there can be no social justice, without economic opportunity. With CAMSC’ mandate for economic inclusion for indigenous and minority owned businesses, we stand ready to work with our many partners, governments and allies to begin the journey towards an inclusive Canada.
Cassandra Dorrington
CAMSC, President & CEO